John Smith’s to sponsor new Jack Dee TV series

John Smith’s, the Scottish Courage ale, is to sponsor its brand spokesman Jack Dee in his new show “Saturday Night” which will be broadcast on ITV from this month.

The move is likely to create controversy about the relationship between brands and the celebrities they use to advertise them.

This is believed to be the first time a product has sponsored a television programme for its own brand spokesman.

Dee has starred in John Smith’s television advertising for the past three years and has recently renewed his contract with Scottish Courage for new work through GGT.

The deal was negotiated by Martin Lowde, Laser sponsorship manager. He says: “This is an excellent example of how sponsorship can be used to enhance and support advertising, while adding another dimension to the marketing programme.”

The six 45-minute programmes will be broadcast from December 9. They are recorded live at the Wimbledon Theatre and feature guests such as Seal and Meatloaf.v